707 Yale Street Shops, Houston

The 707 Yale Street Shops occupy a plot in the Heights district of Houston, a historic neighbourhood undergoing rapid densification. The programme brings together several small retail units on the ground floor and a central patio of roughly 800 square feet on the second level, which serves the units and provides a public breathing space.

The exterior cladding is Kebony Clear, chosen to underline the volumes and give the building a contemporary reading that contrasts with the older fabric around it. Kebony modified wood is a softwood impregnated with a bio-based liquid that gives it dimensional stability and durability comparable to tropical species, with no maintenance beyond routine cleaning. In the hot, humid Texas climate this property was decisive for a facade fully exposed to the street.

The architectural design is by Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, for developer Radom Capital. Construction was carried out by Angler Construction.